The Miracle Detective: An Investigative Reporter Sets Out to Examine How the Catholic Church Investigates Holy Visions and Discovers His Own Faith

In a tiny, dilapidated trailer in northeastern Oregon, a young woman saw a vision of the Virgin Mary in an ordinary landscape painting hanging on her bedroom wall. After being met with skepticism from the local parish, the matter was officially placed "under investigation" by the Catholic diocese. Investigative journalist Randall Sullivan wanted to know how, exactly, one might conduct the official inquiry into such an incident, so he set off to interview theologians, historians, and postulators.

Reasons to Believe: How to Understand, Defend, and Explain the Catholic Faith

In Reasons to Believe, Scott Hahn, a convert to Catholicism, explains the "how and why" of the Catholic faith - drawing from Scripture, his own struggles, and those of other converts, as well as from everyday life and even natural science. Hahn shows that reason and revelation, as well as nature and the supernatural, are not opposed to one another; rather, they offer complementary evidence that God exists. He is someone, and He has a personality, a personal style, that is discernable and knowable.

Catholics, Wake Up!: Be a Spiritual Warrior

Jesse Romero believes that Catholics are called to radically live their faith, not just study it, talk about it, and hide their light under a bushel. For those who find themselves living in a kind of spiritual coma, Jesse jolts them out of that lukewarm, tepid state. Instead of passively allowing circumstances wash over you, Catholics, Wake Up! shows you how to claim every situation for the Lord. We are called to be spiritual warriors, and are meant to triumph with God's strength over life's difficulties.

Rediscover Jesus

At a time when so many people are spiritually disillusioned and searching for ways to live, love, work, and play that nurture the soul rather than destroy it, Matthew Kelly once again delivers a powerful book that encourages us in our weariness, challenges us in our comfort, and invites us to rediscover the beautiful possibilities God places before us daily. Rediscover Jesus is a profound invitation to seek deeply personal answers to our deeply personal questions.

Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith

Fr. Robert Barron's comprehensive work goes straight to the core of the Catholic faith. He first examines the foundations of Christ's incarnation, life and ministry, and then works through the essentials of the Catholic tradition: from sacraments, worship and prayer, to Mary and the saints, and on to salvation, heaven and hell. Throughout this epic journey, Fr. Barron uses art, literature, personal stories, Scripture, theology, philosophy and history to present a complete picture of the Church to the world.

Rediscover Catholicism: A Spiritual Guide to Living with Passion & Purpose

Over the past 20 years, Matthew Kelly has seen more of the world than most presidents and more of the Church than most bishops. Now, in this unique and timely book, he proposes that Catholicism is not a lifeless set of rules and regulations, but a way of life designed by God to help each person reach his or her full potential. With remarkable insight, Kelly dispels dozens of myths that surround the rejection of Catholicism today and provides a profound and practical vision of what will lead the Catholic Church to thrive again in the future.

Catholic Guide to Depression

Countless Christians, including scores of saints, have suffered the profound, pervasive sorrow that modern psychiatrists call depression. Then, as now, great faith and even fervent spiritual practices have generally failed to ease this wearying desolation of the soul. Catholic psychiatrist Aaron Kheriaty reviews the effective ways that have recently been devised to deal with this grave and sometimes deadly affliction - ways that are not only consistent with the teachings of the Church but even rooted in many of those teachings.

Signs of Life: 40 Catholic Customs and Their Biblical Roots

In the appealing conversational tone that has won him millions of devoted readers, Hahn presents the basic tenets of Church teachings, clears up common misconceptions about specific rituals and traditions, and responds thoughtfully to the objections raised about them. Each chapter concludes with loving, good-natured, inspiring advice on applying the Church's wisdom to everyday life.

Seven Lies about Catholic History: Infamous Myths about the Church's Past and How to Answer Them

The world hates the Church that Jesus founded, just as He said it would (John 15:18). It reviles her doctrines, mocks her moral teachings and invents lies about her history. In every age, but especially in our modern day, historians and political powers have distorted the facts about her past (or just made up novel falsehoods from scratch) to make the Church, and the civilization it fostered, seem corrupt, backward, or simply evil.

When the Church Was Young: Voices of the Early Fathers

Marcellino D'Ambrosio dusts off what might have been just dry theology to bring you the exciting stories of great heroes such as Ambrose, Augustine, Basil, Athanasius, John Chrysostom, and Jerome. These brilliant, embattled, and sometimes eccentric men defined the biblical canon, hammered out the Creed, and gave us our understanding of sacraments and salvation. It is they who preserved the rich legacy of the early Church for us.

The Case for Jesus: The Biblical and Historical Evidence for Christ

Over the past hundred years, scholars have attacked the historical truth of the Gospels and argued that they were originally anonymous and filled with contradictions. In The Case for Jesus, Brant Pitre taps in to the wells of Christian scripture, history, and tradition to ask and answer a number of different questions, including: If we don't know who wrote the Gospels, how can we trust them? How are the four Gospels different from other Gospels, such as the lost Gospel of "Q" and the Gospel of Thomas?

Life Is Worth Living, Part 1

Here is the best of the audio from the famous Catholic television program, "Life is Worth Living!" For more than 30 years, Archbishop Fulton Sheen was the voice of the Catholic Church, with his radio and television ministries that touched hearts all over the world. His wisdom and gentle insight are once again available in digitally remastered audio recorded from his live programs.

My Life With the Saints

Be inspired by saints like never before in My Life with the Saints by James Martin, SJ. This best-selling memoir of spiritual self-discovery is an homage to the saints who have accompanied Fr. Martin throughout his life. From a lukewarm childhood Catholicism, to the Wharton School of Business, to the executive fast track at General Electric, to the Jesuits, to a media career in Manhattan, Martin has relied on the saints to intervene in and guide his life.

The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth

Of all things Catholic, there is nothing that is so familiar as the Mass. With its unchanging prayers, the Mass fits Catholics like their favorite clothes. Yet most Catholics sitting in the pews on Sundays fail to see the powerful supernatural drama that enfolds them. Pope John Paul II described the Mass as "Heaven on Earth," explaining that what "we celebrate on Earth is a mysterious participation in the heavenly liturgy."

Resisting Happiness

Are you happy? It may be the wrong question. Most of us think we are relatively happy, while at the same time knowing that we could be happier - maybe even a lot happier. Ordinary people and the finest philosophers have been exploring the question of happiness for thousands of years, and theories abound. But this is not a book of theory. Resisting Happiness is a deeply personal, disarmingly transparent look at why we sabotage our own happiness and what to do about it.

The Creed: Professing the Faith Through the Ages

Why were the early Christians willing to die rather than change a single iota of the creed? Why have the Judeans, Romans, and Persians - among others - seen the Christian creed as a threat to the established social order? In The Creed: Professing the Faith Through the Ages, best-selling author Dr. Scott Hahn recovers and conveys the creed's revolutionary character.

Don E. Moore says:"Scott is great for converts to Catholicism like me."

Jesus: A Pilgrimage

A gifted storyteller and spiritual director, Father James Martin, SJ, invites listeners to experience the stories of the Gospels in a completely new, vivid, and exciting way to gain a deeper understanding of Jesus. Moving sequentially through the Gospels, considering not only familiar passages but also the "hidden life" of Jesus, the book offers a bold retelling of the life of Christ, faithful to the Christian tradition, while meditating on parts of the narrative that have often escaped notice.

The Autobiography of Saint Therese of Lisieux: The Story of a Soul

Sharing memories from early childhood through her life as a Carmelite nun, Therese opens her heart to us. This bride of Christ reveals her passion and longing for union with God. Her simplicity is charming and we begin to believe that we can travel the path to salvation that she points out to us.

The Name of God Is Mercy

In his first official book published as Pope, in celebration of his Jubilee of Mercy, Pope Francis here addresses all humanity in an intimate and personal dialogue. At the center of this book is the subject closest to his heart - mercy, which has long been the cornerstone of his faith and is now the central teaching of his papacy. These words resonate with a desire to reach all those souls who are looking for meaning in life, a road to peace and reconciliation, and the healing of physical and spiritual wounds.

A Father Who Keeps His Promises: God's Covenant Love in Scripture

In A Father Who Keeps His Promises, the popular Catholic apologist Scott Hahn focuses on the “big picture” of Scripture: God’s plan in making and keeping covenants with us throughout salvation history—despite our faults and shortcomings—so that we might live as the family of God.

Mother Angelica: Her Grand Silence: The Last Years and Living Legacy

In a moving, dramatic conclusion to his four New York Times best-selling Mother Angelica books, Raymond Arroyo completes the saga of this singular nun with his most intimate book yet. Here are Mother Angelica's spiritual battles in her cell - including encounters with the devil. Revealed for the first time is the personal request Mother made of God - which sheds light on her long silence.

Why Be Catholic?

Richard Rohr addresses one of the most vital questions for new and lifelong Catholics. Rohr draws on his own prayer, study and preaching experiences throughout the world to ask "What is good about being Catholic?" This series invites listeners to explore the breadth and depth of their faith. "Most Catholics are not Catholic/catholic enough," says Rohr. Addresses both the shortcomings and strengths of the Catholic Christian tradition.

United States Catholic Catechism for Adults

This unabridged audio version brings to life an exciting combination of the seven basic elements that make up the print version. Musical accents subtly underscore the beginning of each chapter. The meditation and prayer elements, with six different readers, both men and women, including Archbishop Donald Wuerl, bring the text to life.

Dark Night of the Soul

Part poetic masterpiece, part mystic treatise, The Dark Night of the Soul by 16th century Carmelite monk St. John of the Cross, addresses the feeling of being forgotten by the Presence of the Almighty that every Christian desirous of walking more closely with God must pass through in order to learn to walk by faith and not by sight.

Publisher's Summary

This runaway New York Times best seller is a book to savor and treasure. Author Tony Hendra, a National Lampoon and Spy magazine veteran and one of the world's greatest satirists, delivers a beautifully written, humorous, and profoundly moving memoir reminiscent of Tuesdays with Morrie.

At 14 years old, Tony began an affair with a married woman that ended when the jilted husband, a devout Roman Catholic, sent Tony to a Benedictine abbey. There, Tony met the remarkably kind and compassionate Father Joe. For the next four decades, Father Joe's guidance never faltered, even as Tony failed in marriage, fought substance abuse, and struggled to find meaning.

The New York Times says Father Joe "belongs in the first tier of spiritual memoirs ever written." It is a wondrous celebration of a saintly man, and it is impossible to forget.

I usually prefer to read books myself in braille, but Father Joe is a Must-Read in audio format. Tony Hendra's wit and Father Joe's wisdom and unconditional love are compelling. As the author, Mr. Hendra superbly narrates this account. Mr. Hendra captured my interest with his humorous descriptions of his misadventures and realizations. Whether he is a the height of ecstasy and faith or despairingly attempting to negate his existence, the constant concern and compassion of Father Joe offers hope and keeps this book from lapsing into self-absorbed melodrama. Outstanding! Extraordinary!

I walk the dog in the park a couple of times each day and had just bought my first MP3 player to listen to music as the dog took his time sniffing at everything. On a fluke, I decided to try an audiobook -- something I had never tried. I browsed through the website for something light and meaningless, mostly to listen to in 20 minute bursts. I wasn't very careful because I thought I had selected some best selling novel by an author I had never heard of, Tony Hendra.

This book grabs. The poor dog started getting several walks throughout the day so I could keep listening to what turned out to be a powerful autobiography of Hendra and a brilliant portrait of Father Joe. I finally sat down on the sofa and listened. Then after finishing the audiobook, I gave my player to my wife, who very reluctantly started to listen to it. She can't put it down.

I'm going to listen again after I give the book time to brew and stew in my mind. I read maybe twenty books a year and this is the best of the last 200 or so, even though I listened to it. It is beautifully written and well read by Hendra, himself.

I purchased this book because it was on the New York Times Best Seller List and because I enjoy inspiring spiritual works of depth. However, the title of the book did not give any hint at depth and I was expecting some syrupy saint story of no great consequence.

The steamy first chapter took me by surprise. This is spiritual? As the plot developed, I began to see parralel lives but only one soul. On the one hand we are shown the saint, and on the other the terrible sinner. But somehow, by the time I got to the end of the book I saw them both as saints in their own way. "There but for the grace of God go I," comes to mind. The saintly priest could just have easily gone the way of the sinner, and vice versa. Both are infinitely loved by God, and both are redeemed. But only the saint knows this, and he has to lead the other into the circle of his light.

Most starling, I also saw myself in this story. As the sinner searched and the saint enlightened, much light was cast in my direction. This is a story of love and redemption, high drama, wit, depravity, and sanctity. I loved it!!! Don't miss it!

From the moment I began listening and before I came to know who Tony Hendra is, I was struck by his skill as an artist with words. The book was recommended by the abbot of a local Benedictine monastery during a recent retreat. It is a beautiful story. Wherever one might be on his or her spiritual journey, Fr. Joe will touch the heart and uplift the soul. I am sure I will listen again.

I was very disappointed by this book. It is 4/5 Tony Hedra droning on about his life and all the people he knew, and 1/5 about this wonderful monk who allegedly had suchg a big impact on his life. The snipets of Father Joe conversations are teriffic, but Tony is tiresome.

I was about half-way through listening to "Father Joe" when I learned of the accusation made by Tony Hendra's daughter from his first marriage that Hendra had left one important transgression out of this confessional auto-biography. The daughter maintains that Hendra sexually abused her when she was a child. This accusation, which Hendra denies, is unproved legally, though the daughter has written her own book ("How to Cook your Daughter," its title derived from an article Hendra wrote for the "National Lampoon") giving a detailed account of the alleged abuse.

Learning of that accusation, however, did not color my consideration of "Father Joe" overly much, because I had already come to the conclusion that, while Father Joe, the monk who befriends Hendra as a teenager and provides spiritual guidance to him throughout his adult life (and, as it turns out, many, many others), is a fascinating character, this story is really about Hendra and his supposed redemption. The problem is, it is quite clear that Hendra is not truly redeemed, or at least that he doesn't fully "get" what being redeemed means.

Despite the fact that this book is written retrospectively at a time when Hendra supposedly had re-embraced his Catholic faith and learned to take responsibility for his own life, Hendra repeatedly lapses into self-pity and vitriolic recriminations against those who have "wronged" him. His attacks on those who followed him at the "National Lampoon," his co-workers on "Spitting Image," conservative politicians (which borders on the paranoid), and, ironically, liberal theologians and the post-Vatican II Catholic Church, all belie his claim of redemption. Clearly, Hendra still has "contempt for the world," and not the selfless detachment of "contemptus mundi," despite Father Joe's painstaking efforts to teach him the difference.

That having been said, Hendra's narration style is excellent. The book, if ultimately unsatisfying, is nonetheless a good listen.

How generous of Tony Hendra to introduce us to his friend and spiritual touchstone, Father Joe, a cloistered Benedictine Monk. Because Tony reads his book, he speaks in two voices, his -- and the voice of Father Joe which he mimics quite well-- there is never any confusion about who is talking. Their first conversation and meeting occurs after the "Teutonic/British" husband of an unhappy French woman drags 14-year-old Tony to the monastery so that Tony can explain why he is having a "torrid" affair with the professor's wife. Torrid for a pubescent teen - he confesses that he has gotten to 2nd base. Rather than condemning the boy to hell, and ordering him to pay penance, Father Joe kindly says: Tell me everything dear-- and gently listens. Over the next forty years, until this saintly man dies, we get to listen in to their interesting conversations, sympathize with Tony as he faces various personal and professional challenges, and then hear Father Joe's counsel. One example: around the age of 16, Tony falls in love with a statue of the Virgin Mary --and sneaks into the library at his school so that he can gaze adoringly at the photo in the art book. He confesses this to Father Joe. His penance? He must go out on a date with a pretty girl. A satirist who moved from England to the U.S., Tony was a top editor for National Lampoon, the precursor for Saturday Night Live. As someone who is a born entertainer and story teller, he decides that he wants to become more than an editor, he wants to become a writer. How lucky we are that he made this decision, and wrote this book for it is truly wonderful. I wish Father Joe was still alive...I would have liked to have meet him in person, though I feel fortunate that I got to meet him through Tony Hendra. Highly recommend --- Even if you do not think of yourself as religious or spiritual. Though religion is an element, love is the substrate. Erudite and witty, Tony conveys a hopeful, positive message. Recommend highl

At times it may seem too much about the author and his life problems - but as you finish you find this is necessay to understand the spirituality and amazing grace of Father Joe. I was glad I listened to the end.

What a beautiful book! I could listen to Tony Hendra quote (and imitate) Father Joe all day. We all try to overcomplicate life and Father Joe brings us back to what should be our foundations. Not to judge, but to love. Not to fear, but to love.
Sounds easy, but Tony Hendra is very open about his abilty to forget these lessons and self destruct in the process ... and then return for another visit.

One of the best books I've ever read (heard). Everyone in their life should have a Father Joe. Wonderful story, makes you wish you could have met Father Joe and in some ways the book is so well written (spoken) you feel you have.